Nativity scenes are precious. I love them. I literally can sit and stare at ours and have time stand still. These scenes picture the pivot-point of history, the arrival of Immanuel--God with US!
Wow...words escape me.
I'd say the same about songs like "Silent Night," reportedly written by Martin Luther. It just makes you tear-up to think about what it would have been like to stand in the field with those shepherds who heard the angels celebrate and then found their way to the farm and ultimately the manger.
Amazing!
But here's the catch. Lately, I've noticed something that troubles me. In my nativity scene at home and most others I've noticed, Jesus is laying there on his back with his hands outspread, palms up, as if he were leading a worship service from his crib. I doubt that happened during that first Christmas, mainly because he was a newborn infant, not a worship leader. But isn't it weird that we want to focus on an adult-thinking Jesus, who's still a helpless baby?
The other scene we constantly hold-out is that of Jesus hanging on the cross. Now it's true He died--and that's awesome news for us! It IS through his death that our sins can be forgiven. But just as he wasn't and isn't' now acting like a spiritual Stewie from "Family Guy," (helpless and hours old, yet thinking as a 40 year old man); he's also not now, still hanging dead on a tree.
But really, it's not the adult-acting-baby or the image of a dead man on the cross that bothers me. Actually, what bothers me is the reason we've decided to picture Him that way. I can only think of one reason we've decided to repeatedly present the Savior only as a newborn or a dead guy:
* We like thinking of him as helpless and/or harmless.
Why?
A baby can't lead us nor can a corpse. An infant or cadaver wouldn't ask us to stop doing something or have influence over our decision-making process. Babies and dead people can't talk, let alone give explicit orders. We like the Savior image of Jesus humbling Himself as a child or dying for us on the cross. But, do we know and accept the image of a powerful LORD Jesus--ruling the universe from the control center in heaven? Do we like the idea of him coming again--not meek and quiet, but with eyes burning like a blast furnace and a voice that will cause mountains to explode?
Not usually....
So I guess what I'm suggesting is--balance. While we celebrate the humility of Jesus via. his incarnation and the nativity, PLEASE don't forget that He's not a baby anymore. And, when Easter comes, let's remember that he didn't stay on the cross or in the grave. The empty tomb and the power of the resurrection is critical folks. We need to LIVE in the power of the resurrected Christ. Our world needs us to!
I don't know about you, but I'm tired and weary of Christians living like they ONLY worshiped a baby or dead Jesus! We sleep-around, lie, cheat, abuse, get drunk, and do just about everything the rest of the world does. More destructively, we refuse to share the gospel about Jesus of give to those in need--just as the world neglects these same things. We're materialistic and often oblivious to the pain of others. We gossip, argue, nit-pick, and are divided just as pagans....
Could it be that we really have forgotten that He's not a baby anymore?
Church--it's time for Christians everywhere to stand up and engage our culture. It's time for us to love and serve and share. It's time for us REALLY to be salt and light--just as Jesus called us to be. Are you ready? I honestly believe that very soon, we'll have no choice. We'll either be witness for Him or we'll be in compliance to a sick and dying world--one or the other.
So, despite my serious and not-so-festive ramblings, celebrate Christmas with joy. It really IS good to remember the humility of our God. But when it's over, remember that He grew up, lived a perfect life, taught us how to follow His example, died, rose again, lives in us now, and will return soon!
THAT's where the "happy new year," following the "Merry Christmas" will come from....
In His Love,
Pastor Joel
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